"Honey, I'm home." Tommy says dramatically as he sweeps the door open. He finds himself face to face with several guns pointed at him.
"Now I know you all missed me, but this reception is a little over the top. Put the weapons away. I come bearing gifts." Tommy keeps the tone light and the others roll their eyes as they put their guns away.
"Watch who you call honey, Tommy." Borden mock growls and moves towards Tommy. He's a bit confused about where the so called gifts are since Tommy's hands are empty. Candlen and Rackem are also confused since Tommy was supposed to pick up their kits.
Playing along Tommy really over dramatizes his answer, "Oh the abuse." Then he turns back to a less dramatic tone, but still playful, "Well then I guess you don't want your gifts? I'll guess I'll just have to sneak back into Command and return 'em."
Kadance comes out at that time and smiles to see Tommy, "You do and you'll be in bigger trouble then you've ever been in before."
Now Tommy has gotten himself in and out of a lot of trouble over the years ending with the slap Kadance gave him last night. So he puts on a superior air and says, "Oh yeah? What are you going to do to me if I do?"
Kadance keeps her tone light but all playfulness has left her. She faces Tommy and gives him a look with eyes dead serious, "I'll kick you off my team."
Tommy nods his acknowledgement, but keeps up the lighthearted banter. "Oh dear, and here I brought you some lovely things." He says as he opens the box.
The newbies including Borden are confused at his action and have a hard time not exclaiming out. "For you my Lady Faire," Tommy says with a flourish. "This is for the ball. Okay the reception, but the concept remains the same." He hands her a full length dress. While the dress is elegant it is also terribly old fashioned.
"Tommy, I'll be covered from my neck down. Couldn't you have gotten me something in short sleeves at least. Not even my grandmother wore something this old fashioned." It was solid material from the neck down. No cut out or decolletage. A simple dress that did it's talking by the material. It is shiny but not obnoxiously so. No adornments or lace of any sort.
"At least you didn't make me wear something over my head and cover my face. Really this is the best you could do?" Kadance is used to wearing the lower priced clothes but she's never been forced to wear someone's rejected dress before.
Tommy shakes his head as Jayse goes to stand behind her. "Lady Faire," he starts out light hearted then lets his tone go back to normal. "It's body armor. Not even the nastiest of bullets out there can get through. It would take a cannon mortar to blast a hole and the force that would cause would create massive internal bleeding. Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to stop that yet." He pulls out a scarf that complements the dress and hands it to her. "This is for your head. It goes over your head and around your face while you are outside. Inside it just lays along your shoulders like a regular shawl."
Kadance takes the flimsy material and lays it gently on the dress. "But this isn't a normal shawl..."
"Nope, this is also body armor. Should anyone shoot you in the head it'll stop the bullet, but you'll probably still have a concussion. But at least you'll be alive." Tommy says seriously all joking put aside. "This will give us a chance to get you to safety, you'll have a hell of a headache, but you'll be able to yell at us about it."
Kadance looks down at the innocent looking garments and then back at Tommy, "Thank you Tommy. They truly are lovely and I'm sure I won't get cold wearing them." Kadance does think they are pretty but would really love to redesign the dress.
Tommy knows that Kadance has given as much praise on the dress as she can and is surprised that she had taken it so well. He's never met a woman yet that would deign to wear such a modest dress no matter if her life depended on it.
He turns back to the box and takes out some jewelry, "This ring has a panic button if you are feeling overwhelmed and you are somehow separated from Jayse and I. Push the jewel there and the whole team will converge on your position. The necklace and earrings are real, but have had microphones and speakers added within so we'll be in voice range.
"And this is my personal gift to you." He hands her a knife and sheath. Kadance looks at it and then back to Tommy with a smile. Tommy takes it from her unresisting hand and demonstrates how to attach the sheath properly.
"You attach it to your arm like this. So that when you do this," he demonstrates his own arm sheath/knife "you have the knife instantly in your hand." He takes the knife out of the sheath and explains, "It's ceramic so you should be able to carry it past most detectors. Being ceramic means it's also sharper and stronger than metal. I have several of both kinds but if I need to cut or slice something in a hurry I always use a ceramic blade. They've never failed me."
Kadance thanks him bemusedly and steps back so the others can get their gifts. While she waits she practices getting the knife out of the sheath and into her hand. Tommy makes it looks so easy, but it takes her awhile to catch on to the trick. Even then she only manages to grab the knife about half the time before it falls to the floor.
Jayse watches her practice in approval. She's a quick study and already her abilities in the firearms has improved greatly. Tomorrow he'll have Tommy teach her knives. At least this way she'll be able to practice with her own knife. It's always good to have a feel for your own weapons.
Kadance breaks through the men to throw her arms around Tommy and gives him a kiss, "Thank you Tommy." This time she kisses him longer and more deeply. Tensions in the room rise and Jayse has a hard time not pulling Kadance away and beating Tommy to death.
Tommy pulls back knowing what this is doing to the others in the room. He wipes away the tears from Kadance's face that she didn't even realize were there. "You're welcome Lady Faire." He says once he has his voice somewhat under control.
He takes a deep breath before continuing to get his voice back to normal but is unable to get back to the light hearted banter. "But what are these tears for Kadance? I didn't get you ticked off at me again did I?" He really was worried. He tried hard to play it straight and it almost killed him to do so. It's so much more fun when he can ghost it.
Kadance also takes a deep breath and tries to stop the tears as she shakes her head no. "It's just that no one since my family died has given me a gift." They all absorb this and are shocked. It's common for friends to give each other gifts. Usually practical gifts like Tommy just gave Kadance.
Tommy looks at her with concern, "None?"
Kadance shakes her head, "I couldn't trust people enough to make friends. There just wasn't anyone that would give me one." She smiles bitterly, " Since I made waves I never won any awards either. That and my coworkers were jealous of my skills." Kadance speaks this without any self pity or false pride.
The team looks at each other and recommit to making the reception something she'll always remember.
Kadance thanks Tommy once more and happily goes to her room to put her things away. Once she leaves there is silence for a while then Tommy goes back to handing out his gifts.
He gives Jayse a set of clothes. A tux made of bullet proof cloth as well. "It doesn't come with much in the way of jewelry, these cuff links do the same as the necklace and earrings do for Kadance."
"Borden here's your duds and cuff links. I didn't find any ceramic weapons in your things so I got you a few." He says as he pulls things out. Borden eagerly reaches for the various weapons Tommy pulls out. "I'm sorry they aren't top quality, but Command wouldn't authorize for the top quality. Kadance's is, but hers I bought from my own money."
Borden looks the weapons over. "These are just fine. Thanks Tommy." He ignores the tux and the other things to play with his toys a bit.
"Rackem, I wasn't sure what toys you keep on you, but after packing your gear I got you a few fun little toys." He says as he pulls out some gadgets. Rackem eagerly picks them up.
"Here's your stuff." He throws him his duffel. Rackem sets his toys down reluctantly long enough to take his duffel. Once he gets the duffel and the tux and cuff links he sets them down carefully then returns to his new toys.
Tommy is amused at their reaction. Candlen just stands there patiently watching Tommy expectantly. Finally he turns to Candlen. "I haven't forgotten you Candlen."
He pulls out Candlen's kit. Candlen takes the duffel and tux and almost tosses them down on the ground and looks back to Jayse almost jumping with excitement. "I have some toys for you too Candlen, but they are too fragile to just be tossing around."
Candlen can't help but crowd up next to Tommy as he pulls out the electronics that Tommy got for him. His tux and kit are completely forgotten as he gently takes the electronics and starts assembling them for use. "This is wonderful Tommy thank you."
He's soon so lost on his toys that he doesn't hear anything going on around him. And he doesn't notice Jayse motioning Kadance outside for more practice.
On his way out he motions Borden over and whispers softly to him. After that he and Kadance go out to work some more. Borden nods and calls the others around after Kadance leaves.